The RegioStars Awards – an inspiration for European regions

The objective of the RegioStars Awards is to identify good practices in regional development and to highlight original and innovative projects which could be attractive and inspiring to other regions. It includes the following five categories: Smart Growth, Sustainable Growth, Inclusive Growth, CityStar, and Effective Management.   The EU Cohesion Policy Funds support this yearly …

7 cities compete to design the city of the future

Seven American cities spent 6 months competing for a $40 million prize from the US Department of Transportation. The challenge was designing the city of the future by juggling three big ideas: automation, climate change and urban inequality.  Here are the cities and their proposals: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Problem: High density of vehicles which leads …

Biophilic cities lead the way to urban sustainability

The biophilic cities network is part of the global movement towards green cities. By innovative, multi-sensory driven design and green architecture, these cities are forging a symbiotic relationship with nature. “We need density but we also need connections to nature,” said University of Virginia professor Timothy Beatley during an event at the University of the …

Can Chinese megacities lead in urban conservation?

China’s unparalleled speed of urbanization comes at a steep environmental cost. Efforts to mitigate the fallout are resulting in leaps for the urban conservation movement. The scale and speed at which China is urbanizing is impressive. Over the past three decades, China has experienced unprecedented economic and social transformation. Millions have been lifted out of …